Is it possible to make transparent solar panels ?

Question

If so why can't we use them as the glass in our windows which face the sun ?

Answer 1

technically if the cell converted only a small amount of energy passing through it into 'useful' energy then it would still be transparent. However, the energy converted would not be enough for the panel to provide a useful amount of power, so it would be a bit pointless

Answer 2

All solar panels allow some light to travel through them. This is actually a big problem, and most photovoltaic cells have a thin reflective layer on the back so the light that has managed to penetrate bounces back into the cell.

Photovoltaic cells "destroy" light. The photons (in simple terms - the stuff light is made of) are absorbed by atoms in a process that releases energy. The photon is now gone - the energy in the light has been transformed into electrical energy.

This is a very over simplified explanation, but hopefully you can see that if light is passing through the cell it can't be prodcing power.

Answer 3

no because then the sunlight will go through, a smarter i idea would be to cover your roof with solar panels

Answer 4

No.

If it was transparent as a window, that would mean that sunlight would go right THROUGH it. In order to convert it to energy the panel has to 'catch' the sunlight, therefore they are dark.

In other word: If they were transparent and you would stand behind them you would feel the warmth of the sun. That is the energy that otherwise would go into the solar cells.